Leamington plumbingand heating company owner Andy Veall has been forced to pay £5,000 after an unsafe gas fire was installed at a town home.

Andy Veall, trading as Andy Veall Plumbing and Heating in Rugby Road, appeared at Nuneaton Magistrates Court on November 25.

In November last year a worker at the company installed an inset gas fire but soon afterwards the home owners became concerned by pipe work that had been left in place and called Gas Safe Register, the official body for gas safety in the UK.

Theregister’s engineers examined the fire and found it had not been installed properly. A back boiler, which should have been removed, had been left in place.

The fire was disconnected until it could be made safe.

The complaint was then brought to the attention of Warwickshire County Council’s Trading Standards, who conducted an investigation leading to the prosecution.

Cllr Richard Hobbs, portfolio holder for community safety, said dangerous gas work could have devastating consequences.

He said: “It is vital that plumbing and heating engineers take their responsibilities seriously and ensure that gas appliances are properly installed.”

In mitigation Mr Veall, who represented himself, said he had not attempted to mislead the customers and the back boiler should have been removed as stated on his estimate.

He admitted the firm did not have any procedures in place to ensure work was adequately checked because it was a relatively new firm and he did not know what procedures were required.

He further stated the company now had procedures in place to check gas appliances following installation, and two employees had been retrained in fitting gas fires.

Mr Veall pleaded guilty to one consumer protection regulation offence for which he was fined £500 and one health and safety offence for which he was fined £2,700.

He was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £15 and a contribution to costs of £1,800.